College Saint Exupéry - FR

Project: BBC College Saint Exupéry 

Country/city: France/Hellemmes

Architect: Guillaume Dufour/Agence M.P Boucher Architecte

Installer: SDI

Photographer: David Hulot 

Production year: 2014

Project size: 10 200m²

A good sound environment for learning

The Northern General Council funded the restoration of the BBC College Saint Exupéry at Hellemmes city, close to Lille. The goal was to create the best possible learning environment for both students and teachers. Many factors, such as the amount of sound absorbed and the reverberation time, was considered to meet the local acoustic regulations. The goal was to control unwanted sounds and reflections to improve the communication and create a pleasant working atmosphere.

TABS and good acoustics

The BBC College Saint Exupéry is a TABS (Thermally Activated Building System) building. This means that the cooling effect from the concrete surfaces also must be taken into consideration when planning the interior. The architect, Guillaume Dufour from MP Boucher Architect Agency, chose to install Solo free hanging units. The Solo units interact with the lights and create a very pleasant atmosphere, both in appearance and regarding sound environment, while still allowing effective cooling of the room.